New goals?

So now, that I am done with John Muir Trail, I am looking for a new challenge and I am looking for ideas.

Love biking or running early in the morning

Since my JMT, I have been quite good with my workout regime, I've been running, biking, lifting but I think I could use more structure that training vs. just exercise provides. 

In case you haven't noticed, I am not much into racing, and there is a reason for that. Actually, just setting goals makes me worried that something will go wrong. Let me explain. In the past, I had signed up for four (yes, four!) marathons, and two 50k trail runs. I have not participated even in even one and not because I had not trained enough. Except for one marathon, when I got sick with a 104F flu just two days before, all the other races I had to skip either because somebody in my very close family died, or got hospitalized and I had to go to Poland. I am very seriously not kidding. Even this year JMT got interrupted by death.  A curse comes to mind. The obvious solution would be to schedule some even in Poland, but I don't think I want to do that. 

Now I don't really want to draw any conclusions here but this is quite a coincidence to have to cancel six events like that. 

What do you think, should I give up or keep on trying? After all, I did manage to complete the JMT so maybe, just maybe the tide is turning around. I am hoping you can give me some ideas and if you know any spells to repel curses, I would be more than interested. :-)


I hope all East Coast friends and their families are fine and that hurricane Irene is not causing too much trouble.